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Friday, March 11, 2016

Chickpea Curry with Black Rice

My love of Indian food began when Allison's good friend Ashik presented me with a cook book as a Christmas present. He knew I loved to cook and since he was often around at dinner time, I think he was hoping I might try some of the recipes. Roy claims he doesn't like Indian food, but this is one dish he says is yummy. I didn't find it in Ashik's cook book though. The inspiration came from Jamie Oliver's book Food Revolution. He recommends using Patak brand curry pastes as a quick and easy way to make curries. They definitely speed up the process and the results are delicious. Using black rice is a nice change of pace. Besides adding a ton of nutrients, it's nutty flavor pairs really well with the chick peas. Of course, white rice could be substituted and cooked chicken could be added if an additional source of protein is desired.

Ingredients for Four Servings:

1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed2 medium onionsbunch of fresh cilantro, leaves and stems1 small pepper such as a Serrano or jalapeno1 thumb sized piece of ginger2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil1/2 cup of store bought curry paste such as Patak brand 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk1 cup uncooked black ricePlain yogurt and wedges of lime or lemon for serving

While assembling the curry, cook the black rice according to the directions on the package. Peel the onions and thinly slice them. Wash and chop the cilantro up, stems and all. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the ginger and dice it up. Decide how much of the pepper to use and remove the membrane and seeds, then mince it.

Over medium low heat, saute the onions, cilantro, ginger, and pepper in the oil until they are tender. Add the chickpeas and curry paste. Mix well and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and turn the heat down to low. Continue to simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with the black rice, wedges of lime or lemon, and a dollop of plain yogurt.

About Me

Hello! I initiated this blog as a way to share quick, easy, healthy, family recipes to my three girls and other welcome friends who happened to stumble upon it. I love to cook (and eat!), but also know what it's like to work full time. As an almost empty nester there are some days where I cook only for two and other days when the girls are home with a bunch of friends. My happiest times are cooking for a houseful of people in a short amount of time. I have developed a few short cuts in order to cook something fast, yummy, yet healthy. As I reflect back on how crazy life could get when the girls were all at home, I strongly feel that sitting down and eating a homemade meal kept our communication open and grounded us. I continue to enjoy making low carb, low fat, and low sugar meals to all my loved ones and guests - and I'm glad to share the recipes! Enjoy!